Indian Heroes and Great ChieftainsNo, children, you are mistaken. Once upon a time there was a piece of wood. It was not an expensive piece of wood. Far from it. Just a common block of firewood, one of those thick, solid logs that are put on the fire in winter to make cold rooms cozy and warm. I do not know how this really happened, yet the fact remains that one fine day this piece of wood found itself in the shop of an old carpenter. His real name was Mastro Antonio, but everyone called him Mastro Cherry, for the tip of his nose was so round and red and shiny that it looked like a ripe cherry. As soon as he saw that piece of wood, Mastro Cherry was filled with joy. Rubbing his hands together happily, he mumbled half to himself: "This has come in the nick of time. I shall use it to make the leg of a table." |
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afterward agency American Horse army arrow attack band battle became Big Horn Black Hills brave brother brought Brules buffalo hunt Bull's camp charge Cheyennes Chief Joseph Conquering Bear council Crazy Horse Crook Custer Dakota death Dull Knife enemy face father fight fire followed Fort Laramie Fort Phil Kearny Fort Robinson fought Gall head chief held herd hero Hole-in-the-Day honor hunters Indian killed Lake land leader Little Big Little Crow Little Wolf military Minnesota mother never Nez Perces Ogallalas Ojibways old chief once Oregon Trail party peace Phil Kearny ponies race Rain-in-the-Face Red Cloud reservation retreat River Roman Nose scouts sent shot shouted Sioux chiefs Sitting Bull soldiers soon speech spirit Spotted Tail story surrender Tamahay teepee territory told took traders trail travois treaty tribe troops warfare warpath Washington white man's whoop women wounded young warriors youth
Popular passages
Page 15 - When the Great Father at Washington sent us his chief soldier (General Harney) to ask for a path through our hunting grounds, a way for his iron road to the mountains and the western sea, we were told that they wished merely to pass through our country, not to tarry among us, but to seek for gold in the far west.
Page 14 - You must begin anew and put away the wisdom of your fathers. You must lay up food and forget the hungry. When your house is built, your storeroom filled, then look around for a neighbor whom you can take advantage of, and seize all he has.
Page 16 - You have heard the sound of the white soldier's ax upon the Little Piney. His presence here is an insult and a threat. It is an insult to the spirits of our ancestors. Are we then to give up their sacred graves to be plowed for corn? Dakotas, I am for war!